The use of anhydrous ammonia in preparing non-fluorinated alkoxides of metals of Group IVb and V, uranium and iron is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,187,821 (1940) and British Pat. No. 512,452 (1939). More recently, there have been reports in the literature of the use of the ammonia method in the preparation of 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxides of certain Group IV and Group V elements and 1,1,1,-3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropoxides of the same elements. However, attempts to synthesize Group IV metal hexafluoroisopropoxides by the ammonia method produced only poor yields. Furthermore, the products contained metal, fluorinated alkoxides, and in most instances two molecules of ammonia so strongly bonded as to prevent its loss even when heated at relatively high temperatures. Because of the foregoing factors, the products could not be satisfactorily employed as precursors in making high purity metal oxides.
It is an object of this invention to provide a process for preparing in high yield yttrium and lanthanide hexafluoroisopropoxide diammoniates.
Another object of the invention is to provide high purity yttrium and lanthanide hexafluoroisopropoxide diammoniates which upon heating at elevated temperatures decompose to high purity oxides.